Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Somewhere (2010)

Johnny Marco: What's that book about again?
Cleo: It's about this girl that's in love with this guy.
But he's a vampire, and his whole family's vampires.
So she can't really be with him.
Johnny Marco: Why doesn't she become one too?
Cleo: Because she can't. He doesn't want to turn her
into a vampire. And if she gets too close to him,
he won't be able to help himself.
Johnny Marco: Oh, man.

Sofia Coppola's Somewhere came out 10 years ago today. This movie remains terrifically underrated, don't you think? Every Sofia Coppola movie remains underrated, but this one even among the norm. I still have full on panic attacks when I remember the scene where Stephen Dorff gets his face covered in goo.



8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Any, and every movie that I have seen by the dismal Coppola is an embarrassment. The sooner she retires to sell wine in cans, the better. And I have seen these wretched things.

Shawny said...

Oh, jeez. She’s not that bad. She’s made some very good, unique films, and some not as good. My favorites are Marie Antoinette and Lost in Translation. She can get a bit boring, but I think that’s being too harsh to say they are an embarrassment.

Lucky said...

I think this might be one of my favorites of her, and I quite like some of her films! I love Somewhere's atmosphere and lack of direction. I also think Elle Fanning is great in it and Dorff... let's just say I've had a crush on him for a while.

Anonymous said...

I love her but this is her worst.

Sray said...

The Bling Ring is actually her worst movie IMO, but this is an unfortunate close second (haven't seen On the Rocks yet). It felt sometimes very boring and emotionless. I missed that kind of magic that Lost in Translation had when people didn't talk in certain scenes. Stephen Dorff was eyecandylicious though....

Glenn said...

I love all of Sofia's magnificently subtle work and agree that this is an underrated gem.
I think that, first of all, people were reluctant to look beyond the surface - which reads as very Lost In Translation "light" - and that was unfair. On top of that, I also feel "Somewhere" is her most indulgent work, taking all the typical Sofia-isms and dialing them up to 100 ... So if she wasn't entirely your cup of tea before, this movie was never going to win you over. But it really is a masterclass in subtlety and nuance.

Mirko said...

I am a Sofia’s unapologetic fan and of course I agree that despite the Golden Lion in Venice this film has a lot of detractors. It can appear too much subtle but I appreciate Coppola’s philosophy (Marco’s call with his ex wife is a revealing moment). Back then I realised its lightness was quite unbearable for several people. Dorff and Fanning are beyond adorable

Steven B said...

I like Jonnie Marco. He's a natural in front of the camera — he's been propelled to stardom without a ton of effort. He has lots of time off. It's not fair. But, he's nice to everyone around him. Stardom will not save him, as he slowly realizes. It's a journey, and we're along for the ride. The Chateau Marmont! Italy! Easy sexual conquest! Fun to watch! Sophia Coppola also reveals the tediousness of one vacation day after another. Playing video games in the middle of the day. Too much room-service food. Friends that eventually cannot hangout. Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning are super together and a delight to watch. Good music too!